1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to security alarm and building automation systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to dynamic adjustment of security levels and procedures.
2. Background of the Invention
Security and building automation systems are more in use today than ever before. Improvements in communication technology make it easier to install an alarm or theft-detection system that reports events to a central monitoring station in real-time. In particular, network technology allows alarm-reporting equipment to report events using a ubiquitous packet-based network such as the Internet. Further, with the advent of cellular technology, alarms may be reported to a central monitoring station via a standard cellular network such as a 3G network.
In modern security systems, the central monitoring station, or a local security control panel, also provides access to a plurality of security resources, including but not limited to surveillance, access control, and other options. These resources may be allocated by an operator of the security system. Various factors affect the allocation, such as the determination that certain secure areas need to be protected more than other secure areas. This is important in environments where valuable objects (also called secure objects) are regularly transported to different secure areas within a building or complex.
Currently, the allocation process for security measures and distribution of resources is manual and cumbersome. Furthermore, there is a lack of information regarding which secure objects are in which secure area. For instance, a valuable painting in a museum may be transported to a storage room while the exhibit room is being cleaned. The storage room lacks the appropriate security surveillance and access control. An operator would have to be aware of the fact that the painting is in the storage room, and would further have to manually route additional security parameters to take effect in the storage room; such as increased guard patrol or restricted access to key personnel. This is also applicable to the movement of important people. Access control for new areas to which the people have moved needs to be re-adjusted to accommodate the new security level requirement for the secure area.
Correspondingly, security measures and procedures associated with the new security level are not enforced due to the static association of the security level to the secure area, and the lack of real-time information regarding the desired security level. What is needed is a system and method for improved dynamic association of security levels and enforcement of security procedures.